Button clamp



F. A. REECE ET 'AL BUTTON CLAMP Oct. 19, 1937.

Filed April 50, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l 5 w w ,Jmamm mnnaw N. I w mm .v

,Oct 19, 1937. F. A. REEcE E'r A1.

BUTTON CLAMP Filed A'pri; so, 1938 3 snet-sheet 3 Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED' ;sTATEs PArEN-T oFFi'cE BUTTON CLAMP Franklin A. Reece, Brookline, Mass., and Samuel W. Avis, Providence, R. I., assignors to The Reece Button Hole Machine Company, Boston, Masswa corporation of Maine Application April 30, 1936, Serial No. 77,178

18 Claims. (Cl; 112-114) This invention relates to machines for sewing or otherwise attaching buttons to work, and particularly to the clamps for positioning and holding the buttons for the action of the attaching instrumentalities.

The invention has for its general object to provide an improved button holder or clamp of this character wherein, to a greater degree than in similar devices as heretofore proposed, arsubstantially fiat perforated button will be accurately positoned and securely" held, said device being readily adjustable both for the'purpose of accommodating buttons of a wide variety of sizes and shapes and also to position the button at a variable distance from the face of the work, whereby to determine the length of the neck or shank by whiclithe button is connected with the work.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the latter may be carried into effect, will best be-und'ers'tood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof shown iri the accompanying drawings, this, however, having been chosen for purposes of exemplification merely, as it will beV obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, maybe otherwise embodied without departure from its spirit'and scope.

In said drawings.:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of a button sewing machine equipped with a button clamp embodying Vthe invention. p i f i Fig. 1a is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line luz-la, Fig.' 1.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section on the line 2-2, Figs. 1 'and 4, and on a somewhat larger Scale than Fig. 1.l 7

3 is a front elevation of Vthe parts shown in,Fig.2.f H I 7 I VFigglvis a side elevation, partly broken away.

Fig 5 is ai longitudinal section taken'f'substantially on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.. i

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on the Vline 6-6, Fig. 2, showing the mounting of one of the clamping jaws.

4Fig. 7 is a perspective view; partly section, of theetop plate andlassociated parts'constituting a portion ofthel` button clamp assembly.

I Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the assembled clamping ;jawsand their Vcarriers.

Fig. 9 is ,aperspective view of V the bottom plate andi associated parts. i i 6 While-the invention is notl'imitedI its application. to any particular type of button attaching machine, for 'convem'ence it isyherein illustrated in connection with a'button sewing machine of the Character shown and described in an application filedV January 24, 1936, by 5 Franklin. A. Reece, Serial No. 60,616, wherein all of the lateral movements necessary Vto attach either a two-hole orafour-hole button are imparted to the stitch-forming instrumentalities as distinguished from the work-holding in- 10 strumentalities. Said machine comprises a base IE supportingl a work plate 16 and' an overhanging head ll in which is suitably guided a needle bar IB carrying a needle l'9 which cooperates with underthread or looper 'mechanism 20 "to 15 attach to work W supported on the workplate HiV a flat perforated button B held by a combined presser foot and button clamp assembly'C; The assembly C is normally pressed toward' the 'work W to clamp the latter on the work plate |6 and 20 hold the button B in properly positi'oned relation thereto, but maybe raised, before 'an'd after theiattaching Operations, to permit .the insertion, removal or positioning of the 'workV and the insertion'and removal of successive buttons., 25 As shown, said assemblyfis providedwith a short` upright stem 2| connected by an arm 22 with a slide 23 guided for Vertical niovement the head H. The slide 23'is normally held' down- Ward to urge the combined clamp and presser 30 foot against the work by a spring 2'4' but may be moved upwardly against the tension of said spring to raise the assembly bya'levr-Z con'- nected by a chain 26 with a suitable treadl'e 21.

Referring to Figs. 2' to. 9, the assembly Cin- 35 cludes upper and lower plates 29 and 36 hel'd' in spaced parallel relation by studs 3|, 3.2, 33 and 34' which rise from the plate 30 and the upper ends of which are threaded and received in threaded openings 35 in the top plate 29' The 40 upright stem 21 is carriedby or formed integral with the top plate 29. Secured'as by screws 36 to the underside of the bottom plate 36 is the presser foot proper 31 having an'angular extension to engage the work W immediately below 45 the clamping jaws hereinafter described and press said work against the work plate |6, said. exten- ,sion being cut away as shown at 38 to permit the action of the sewing instrumentalities. Guided for rectilinear movement between the plates 50 29 and 3|] in directions to carry their forward ends toward and away from one another, are three lslides 39, 4B and 4'1 carrying the button clamping jaws. The.l slide v39 isguided in a way V42 formed in the underside ofV the top 'plate 29 55 gage a button at substantially equally spaced points about its periphery and means for relatively moving said jaws toward and from each other in rectilinear paths radial to a common center to clamp and release the button.

5. A button clamp comprising at least three button engaging jaws spaced at substantially equal angles about a common center, slides by which said jaws are respectively carried, said slides being guided for movement to cause said jaws to move toward and from each other, and means connecting said slides for movement in unison.

6. A button clamp comprising a plurality of button engaging jaws, slides by which said jaws are respectively carried, said slides being guided for movement to cause said j aws to move toward and from each other, said slides having racks, and a common pinion engaging and connecting the several racks.

'7. A button clamp comprising a plurality of jaws -adapted to grip between them the edge of a button and thereby fix its position, carriers for said jaws, and means for adjustably securing said jaws to said carriers, whereby the position of said button With respect to said carriers may be varied.

8. A button clamp for holding -and positioning a button with respect to work to which it is to be attached, said clamp comprising a plurality of button engaging jaws and carriers therefor, each of said carriers having a portion disposed substantially perpendicular to the Work, and means for attaching said jaws to the perpendicular portions of their respective carriers in variable positions longitudinalIy of said portions.

9. A button clamp comprising a plurality of button engaging jaws and carriers therefor, each of said jaws comprising two members adapted respectively to engage opposite sides of the edge of the button, said members being independently adjustable on the carrier in the direction of the thickness of the button.

10. A button clamp for holding and positioning a button with respect to work to which it is to be attached, said clamp comprising a plurality of button engaging jaws and carriers therefor, each of said carriers having a portion disposed substantially perpendicular to the work, and each of said j-aws comprising two members adapted respectively to engage opposite sides of the edge of the button, and means for attaching said members to said perpendicular carrier portion in independently variable positions longitudinally thereof. w

11. In a button attaching machine having work-supporting means, a button clamp comprising a plurality of button engaging jaws and carriers therefor, and means for supporting said i clamp, certain of said parts being adjustable to v'ary the distance from said work-supporting means of a button held by said jaws.

12. In a button sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming instrumentalities, of a button clamp having button receiving jaws universally adjustable with respect to said instrumentalities.

13. In a button sewing machine having stitchforming instrumentalities including a needle having work-penetrating movements, a button clamp, and means for supporting said clamp adjustable to vary the position of said clamp universally in a direction tr-ansverse to the direction of the workpenetrating movements of said needle.

14. In a button sewing machine having stitchforming mechanism and a work support, a button clamp and means for supporting the same comprising a plurality of adjustably `connected members, one of the connections permitting adjustrnent in one direction in a plane substantially parallel with work on said support, and another of the connections permitting adjustment in said plane in a direction transverse to said first named direction, whereby said clamp is universally adjustable in said plane.

15. In a button attaching machine, a button clamp assembly having a stem, an arm in which said stem is angularly adjustable, and -a slide on which said arm is angularly adjustable.

16. A button clamp comprising at least three button engaging jaws relatively movable toward and away from each other and supporting means therefor constructed and arranged to cause said jaws to engage a button at substantially equally spaced points about its periphery When relatively moved toward each other.

17. A button clampv comprising at least three button engaging jaws relatively positioned to engage a button at substantially equally spaced points about its periphery, at least two of said jaws being movable in paths substantially radial to the center of the button at their respective points of engagement therewith,

18. A button clamp comprising at least three button engaging jaws relatively positioned to engage a button at substantially equally spaced points about its periphery, said jaws being movable in paths Vsubstantially r'adial to the center of the button at their respective points of engagement therewith, and means connecting said jaws for movement in unison toward and away from said center.

FRANKLIN A. REECE. SAMUEL W. AVIS. 

